This movie was boring. They all were.
I flicked through the channels, letting each one play for a few seconds before moving on. A blur of color and sounds. Boring.
An action movie. Advertisements. Advertisements. Golf tournament. Advertisements. Foreign film. News channel. Sports channel.
I stopped, flicking it back to the news channel again. There was a face I recognized on the screen.
“—confirm that there are no new leads in the disappearance of Tristan Moore. The Moore family has increased the reward to five hundred thousand for information leading to his whereabouts, as concerns grow for his safety. Tristan was last seen just over three weeks ago on Friday the eighteenth at seven forty p.m. leaving his apartment on the Harborview foreshore. Authorities stress that rumors circulating on social media are unhelpful and ask anyone with verified information to come forward.”
I recognized the picture on the screen ofTristan. The bastard. He was the fuckhead who had tried to put his hands on H.
Which meant that I’d seen him since he was “last seen” in public. So, he was missing now. What the fuck had Shady done to him?
An uneasy feeling twisted in my gut. The days of fast food didn’t help.
Well, whatever. He was a dick anyway. Maybe someone had given him what he deserved. I was just annoyed I wouldn’t have a chance to punch his stupid face again. Should have done more than break his nose that day. I’d so badly wanted to, but H wasupset enough and I didn’t want to make the situation worse for him.
I left the news playing as I pulled the quilt Nana made me up to my shoulders and turned around on the sofa.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sleeping for, but the room was dark as I stirred to the sound of knocking at my front door.
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.
Rikky would have let himself in without knocking, which meant it was probably either Rachel or Ma, and I didn’t feel like seeing either of them right now. I hadn’t been to family dinner the past three weeks. I’d told them I was sick, then that I was helping Rikky with some stuff. I hadn’t even spoken to Rikky since losing H.
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.
I didn’t move, staring at the blur of color that played over the ceiling reflected from the TV.
There was a rattling, then the sound of the door opening.
“Benjamin Forrester. You best have a very good reason for ignorin’ your mother.” Ma’s booming voice carried in from the entrance.
I should have known better than to give her an emergency key.
I pulled the quilt up over my head and pretended I was still sleeping.
“Oh, Christ.” She gasped as she walked into the living room. “What on earth has happened to you?”
I stayed silent, hoping she would think I was asleep and go away, before remembering that this wasmymother and being asleep wouldn’t stop her.
“Benjamin, you better be dyin’ to be ignorin’ me and puttin’ yourself in this state.”
She yanked the quilt off my head, and I groaned as I snatched a fluffy orange pillow from beside me to cover myself with instead. “Jesus, boy, you smell awful. When was the last time you showered?”
The pillow was tugged from the other side, and I held onto it as we played a brief game of tug-of-war that I somehow lost.
“Ma,” I groaned. “Just leave me alone.”
“You’re clearly goin’ through somethin’, Benjamin, so I’m goin’ to let the attitude slide this time. But whatever it is, it doesn’t give you an excuse to ignore your Ma. It also isn’t an excuse for not goin’ to work.”
Of course she somehow knew about that.
“Now, you’re goin’ to stop mopin’. You’re goin’ to get in the shower while I clean up this room, and then once you’re no longer stinky, you’re goin’ to tell me what’s got you like this so we can deal with it together.”
I groaned, turning face down on the sofa. Let’s see her pullthataway from me.
